In a future where humanity struggles to rebuild after a catastrophic fall from technology, society is governed by new laws that rely heavily on natural resources. Modern life intertwines with Victorian-era customs: the wealthy bask in education while the poor endure hardship, and power remains the ultimate dream for every man.
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"I've heard there are troubles of more than one kind; some come from ahead, and some come from behind. But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see; now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" Dr. Seuss
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3 DAYS AGO
Rose hoisted the axe over her shoulder, inhaling the crisp, pine-scented air. Nearby, the roar of a chainsaw surged. She had grown up in these mountains with her father and little brother. Their mother had long since left, chasing dreams that never included them. But that was fine; they were all vouching for her.
"Come on, guys! Let's get this done before noon!" she called out, her voice carrying across the clearing. The men nodded and set to work.
Her father owned these mountains. Every tree, every rock, every patch of earth belonged to him. Life here was hard, yet it was good—privileged, even. He ran a business that many would deem illegal, but he was the better devil than most crime lords. He contributed to society. He protected. He had morals.
With determination, she planted her feet and swung the axe. It bit into the bark, sending splinters flying as she pivoted and swung again. The tree wobbled under her blows. Muscles flexed, sweat beaded on her forehead, but the satisfaction of the work burned brighter than any discomfort. This is where she belonged. Deep where the labour was hard, she was a strong girly girl. Muscles in a pink summer dress were the cutest thing.
"I've been here for a week and I still can't believe you swing like that," one of the workers remarked. "Man, makes me want to drop this automated thing and go manual."
"Either way, I wish it was me you were swinging like that Rose," Samuel smirked , he had worked on the mountains for 11 years since he was 12, Mr Blackthorn took him in after his parents died.
Rose laughed, swinging again, brushing off their comments.
By noon, she raced down the slope, the axe resting on her shoulder. Her father and Elric, her little brother, were back from their trip, and they always returned with gifts—clothes, sweets, tools from the city. She couldn't wait to see what they had brought from this trip.
Elric spotted her first. He bolted across the room, throwing his arms around her, the familiar warmth of his embrace flooding her with relief. "Look what I got!" he exclaimed, holding up a sleek laptop, the screen flashing with numbers she barely understood. She was the brawn; Elric was the brains.
"That's the computer you wanted?"
Elric nodded with a huge grin on his face.
Computers were one of the rare personal devices, to get your hands on one, you had to get a licence for it, for security reasons, that Elric thought were stupid.
"Don't forget your gift for Rose Elric," their father chimed in, a proud smile lighting up his face.
Elric scrambled back, returning with a purple cloth. As he unveiled it, her heart raced at the sight of three okapi knives glinting in the light, each bearing an incomplete logo resembling an infinity sign that didn't connect on one end.
She spun one of the knives between her fingers, testing its balance and weight. It was perfect.
"I have so much to tell you! I made a friend, he's so funny, " Elric said, excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Elric, in this work, we have acquaintances, not friends," their father interjected, "He may have given us the knives as gifts for Rose and gotten a laptop for you, but that's not enough for us to call them friends," he then turned to Rose. "We need to talk. Remember what I said was my main goal for this trip?"
She nodded, her stomach tightening. Something about an alliance with the mafia. Rose hated the idea, but her father convinced her that times were changing and whether they liked it or not, a war was silently brewing.
"But first, you have to prepare for a job tonight." He gave her the details: she would be escorting a merchant truck through the mountains, acting as the guard as usual.
"Why at night so last minute?" she asked.
"It's Castian Hallowmere's merchandise. Ores. Just follow orders. It'll be fine." he said it would be fine, but Rose could sense how uncertain he felt. There was something he wasn't telling her.
As evening fell, the truck arrived, accompanied by two men. One was familiar; he greeted her father politely and handed over a small gift which he received with a small smile.
Feeling a sense of foreboding, Rose climbed aboard the truck.
"Evening," she greeted the driver, when he didn't respond she turned to him. The pale looking man gripped the steering wheel like it was his first time driving.
"Hey man, what's up?" She said firmly this time.
The man started, nodding briefly before he looked straight ahead, gripping the wheel even more tightly. The car hadn't even begun to move yet.
Something felt off. The driver swallowed nervously. The signs of panic were clear.
The other man got inside the car, placing her in between. They drove off and for a few minutes it was silent, just the noise of tyres against gravel... until an explosion erupted behind them, the car carrying her guards went up in flames. Panic gripped her heart. Her home was next, going up in large flames within seconds.
Instinct took over. Rose snatched the knife and drove it into the driver's ribs. His shout cut off as the truck lurched, tires screaming while the wheel spun out of control.
The second man lunged. "You bitch!"
Rose caught his wrist just as his fingers brushed the gun. The truck slammed into a tree, metal shrieking. He was hurled forward, skull cracking against the windscreen before collapsing back, dazed.
Seizing the opportunity, Rose lunged forward and plunged the knife into his neck, her determination fueling the strike. He collapsed without a sound, slipping into silence.
Flames quickly licked at the edges of the forest, sirens wailed in the distance, but she forced herself to keep moving. Her boots pounded the long road back to her home, smoke curling into the sky, the cacophony of fire and chaos ringing in her ears.
Halfway there, she saw Elric.
He stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at his house as it burned. Then the scream tore out of him. "Pa! Pa!" He dropped to his knees, fists slamming the stone in raw, broken sobs.
"Elric…" Rose breathed, sprinting toward him. Protect him. That was all that mattered.
But before she could reach him, heavy boots clacked against the stone, and the sharp click of a gun froze her in place.Her instincts coiled tight, and her hand instinctively drifted to the knife hidden at her side.
"Nah-ah-ah, don't reach for it," a woman taunted, stepping forward, weapon trained on her.
In that instant, Rose caught movement of a guard advancing on Elric.
"No! Please!" she screamed. "He's just a child!"
Arms clamped around her from behind. Rose lashed out, elbow smashing into a jaw with a wet crack as she twisted toward her brother. She barely got a second strike in before pain exploded across her skull. The woman slammed the rifle butt into her head, and the world reeled.